This invention relates to electronic games, particularly to electronic games which make use of microprocessors and tape players.
There have been known in the prior art, game apparatus which makes use of microprocessors which are programmed to engage the operator or operators in a game sequence, and which respond to the operators depressing input data buttons. There have also been known in the prior art apparatus which uses a magnetic tape and responds to inputs by the operator or operators of the device in order to select an audible output from one of multiple possible outputs, previously recorded on the tape. One such device is a teaching apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,972 to Freeman.
In accordance with the Freeman disclosure, there is provided a multi-channel tape wherein a question is recorded on one track of the tape, and wherein the operator or operators can depress a button to respond to playing of the recorded question. The button depression response by the game operator causes the machine to play a selected pre-recorded message from one of the multiple channels on the tape. Thus, if the operator answers a question correctly, the machine might say "Congratulations, you have answered correctly". On the other hand, if rhe operator answers the question incorrectly, the machine might say "I am sorry you were wrong, the correct answer is--".
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved game apparatus wherein the use of a microprocessor operating under a control program is combined with the use of a sound recording having pre-recorded alternate messages, in order that the apparatus may provide a wide variety of questions, answers, automatic score keeping, and other programmable game features in accordance with data and sound recordings made on a recording media, such as a magnetic tape cartridge.